Typewriting machine



c. M. cREws TYPEWRITING v'MACHINE Filed NOV. 15. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet lV /n venor:

Attorney 'd Dec. 8,1925. 1,564,408

v C. M. CREWS TYPEWRITNG MACHINE Filed Nov. 15, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet A2 In ven/0n Patented Dec. 8, 1925.

UNITED" STATES l PATENT OFFICE.

CLARENCE M. CREWS, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO UNDERWOOD TYPE- WRITER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION 0F DELAWARE.

TYPEWRITING MACHINE.

Application led Novemberl, 1923. Serial No; 674,839.

fo aU lwhom it may con-cern Be it known that I` Cnmnxcu M. Cin-tirs, a citizen ofthe United States, residing in Brooklyn Borough, in the county of Kings` city and State ot' New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in 'lypewriting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to performing upon continuous work-webs, by the use of interleaved carbons, classes of manifold. work wherein the number oi' carbon copies re quired of successive writing varies. The machine of the present invention maybe used also like any continuous billing machine for continuous billing work or other similar work in which the number of carbon copies is always the same. i

It is an object of the invention to provide a machine for applying the carbon-shifting principle of the continuous billing` machine to work in which varying numbers of copies of the writings are required. To do this work, which may be the writing of telegrams or letters. for example, separate continuous work-webs (preferably as many as can be typed at a single writing) are led through a carboncarrier reciprocable toward and from the platen, and some of,

' them are then led forward around the platen. In order that the number of webs in active use at a writing may be varied, in accordance with the needs of the work. provision is made of means. for example a clamp, in which the forward ends. ot any desired number of .the webT interleaved with the cai-bons of the carbon-carrn'2 may be secured without being passed around the platen. Preparatory to the typing of the lirst writing and while the webs are free of the platen, the number of copies required of the irst writing is determined by the operator. He then counts ott as many of the webs as are provided in excess of the number of copies required, turns them back and secures them in the web-holding means to be held idle and out of the way during typing. The platen., which may be displaceable as in the Ifnderwood continuous billing machine, is then lowered and the writing is typed on the active webs. lVhen the typing of the first web-section is completed. the platen is dispiaced, the active webs are drawn forward to a gauge at tie front of the machine, and the carbon-cartearing oif to free the webs from the platen t so as to permit a part of the previously active webs to be turned back into the clamp, or a partof the previously inactive webs to be withdrawn from the clamp and turned for-` ward beneath the platen.

To avoid the need for displacing the platen twice, provision is made in thepresent machine of means for severing the. typed web-sections after the carbons have been retracted, but before the platen has been lowered. For .this purpose a drawknife is slidingly mounted upon the back of a front paper-table of the machine for movement parallel to the platen, the knife being normally beyond the bounds of the work-webs. The knife extend., through a slot in the paper-table to the front thereof, and is arranged to be drawn along the slot to engage the work-webs on the front of the table to shear them. A bar is mounted on the front rail of the carriage against which the portion of the frontpaper-table ad* jacent the slot is moved when the platen is displaced. The paper-table may be pressed down by the operator after the carbons have been retracted to clamp the work-webs between the bar and the table, so as to hold the webs stationary during web-severing. It will be seen that the number of webs in active use may be changed without displacing the platen a second time, the procedure being to displace the platen, gage the workwebs, retract the carbons, sever the typed web-sections., change the number of webs and carbons in active use, and lower the platen to writing position.

One feature of the invention relates to means for keeping the inactive work-webs out of the way during the typing of the aotive webs. As the typing progresses the carbon-carrier is drawn forward by the active webs toward the platen. At the same of the work by the formation of this loop too near the platen, bars are mounted at the rear of the carriage to extend across all of the webs above and below them and near -enough to each other to form a restricted l0.'

passage for the webs. 'lhe arrangement is such that the active webs, which are straight and taut, are pulled forward by the platen through this opening without opposition, but the slack .inactive webs are prevented from passing. The loop in the inactive webs is thus caused to form tothe rear of the bars in a location where it will not interfere with the work.

It is important to prevent shifting of the inactive webs with relation tothe carbons and to the active webs as the carbon-carrier travels forward at line-spacing, since such shifting would cause the carbons to become wrinkled, would prevent the forward edges ofthe inactive webs whenturned to active position from coinciding with the forward edges of thealready activelwebs, and would cause the printed forms on the webs to get out of register. Accordingly `a clamp is provided on the carbon-carrier for clamping the active and inactive webs to the carbon-carrier and to each other during writing. A handle is provided for opening the clamp to permit relative movement of the work-webs and carbons in the carbon-shifting opera-I tion. l l

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear. 4

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1- is a fragmentary sectional side elevation of a machine'embodying the present invention, showing the work in first writing line position.

Fi re 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, showing the platen displaced, the workwebs gagedand the carbon-'carrier retracted.

i with the platen displaced.

The typed web-sections are positioned for severing by the knife. l f

Figure 3 is a. detail front elevation, showing the arrangement of the clamp for holding the inactive webs to the rear of the platen, and the bars for preventing theformation of the loop in the inactive webs too far forward in the machine.

Figure 4 is a sectional side elevation, showingthe platen displaced, and illustrating particularly the way in which the inactive webs may be thrust forward when released from the clamp to associate them with the already active webs.

`Figure 5 isa plan view of the machine Figure 6 is a detail view showing the construction Pand mounting of the `novel knife.

similar in many features to the Underwood continuous bllling machine, as disclosed, for

example, in .thevpatent to lVernery & Smith,

No. 1,132,055, granted March 16, 1915.

rThe machine of the present invention is "A cylindrical platen 10-is secured upon 17 supported upon the main frame 18 of the machine. Platen-turning knobs 19 (one of which is shown) are mounted upon stubshafts 2O journaled in the ends 21 of the platen-frame 22, and each may be operated to transmit motion to the platen '10' through a gearv 23 fast on one-of the stubshafts 20, a broad pinion 24vco-axial with the swing frame 13, and asecond gear 25 upon the adjacent end of the platen.` The broad pinions 24 and the swing frame 13 `are not mounted at thel opposite ends of a shaft extending completely across the machine as is usual, but are journaledinstead on the stub-shafts 14 carried by the ends of the platen-frame so as to leave the front of the platen clear, and thereby to facilitate the withdrawal of active webs A1 from beneath the vdisplaced platen, and the insertion of inactive webs A2 beneath it. In ada rear rail 30 which helps to support a rear carriage extension '31. The rear carriage extension 31 includes brackets 32 secured to a bar 33 on the carriage 15 and rails 34 on which the carbon-carrier base 35. is mounted by means of rolls `36 to travel toward and from the platen 10. A llarge number of separate work-webs A isledover a bar 37 at the rear. of the carriage extension 31 between side guides 38 and thence forward between carbon-holdingv blades 39 of a carboncarrier 40. The carbon-carrier 40 is preferabl base 35, as dlsclosed in the patent to Fortin,

No. 1,237,319, granted August 21, 1917, so -that carbon-carriers having. different 'A kinds of work-webs interleaved with their carbone may be inter-changed inthe machine. The work-webs. A and interleaved carbons 41 pass forward from the carbon-carrier 40,

through a restricted opening 42`formed by 1 two spaced parallel bars 43 and 44 lthat. are

mounted on upstanding brackets 45 on the brackets 32 and extend completely across the Work#webs A. Beyond the bars, .slome of the Webs, designated by A1,- pass down detachably mounted on the and around the platen tothe front there.- of for writing.' Such of the webs A as are not required for the particular writing in hand are folded back over the upper bar 44 and are secured in an inactive position, as indicated at A2, by a clamp jaw 46 which co-operates with the upper bar 44 at one end thereof. The jaw 46 is pivoted at 47 upon a bracket 48, and the clamp also comprises a bell-crank handle 49 for the .swinging jaw 46 and a spring 50 connected to the handle and toanother partof the carriage extension. The spring 50 is arranged to cross the pivot 47 of the swinging jaw 46 as said jaw is swung from act-ive to inactive position, and hence tends to .retain .the jaw in either of said positions. Screws 51 pass through the bracket 4S, the bar 44, a spacing block 52, and the bar 43 to retain all of these members in assembled relation. A stop 53 on the bracket 4S limits the opening of the swinging jaw 46.

As the typing of the active webs A1 proceeds, these webs with their carbons 41 are line-fed, andl this line-feeding ydraws the carbon-carrier 40 forward toward the platen with the result that the inactive webs A2 and their carbons 41 in advance of the carbon-carrier are caused to form a loop. The parallel bars 43 and 44 tend to prevent the passage of the slack inactive webs A2 from rear to front, but oppose no obstruction to the pulling forward of the straight active webs A1 by the platen. The loop is therefore formed to the rear of the bars 43 and 44 and notv in a position where it will interfere with the operation of themachine.v As the carbon-carrier 40 is drawn forward there is a. tendency of the idle work-webs A2 to lag behind they carboncarrier and this lagging, if permitted to occur, is apt to' cause the carbone 41 to become wrinkled and` to cause the forms on the active and inactive webs to shift out of register. In order to prevent such shifting of the inactive work-webs A2 with reference to the idle carbons 41 and to the active webs A1, a clamp 54 is provided on the carbon-carrier 40 to clamp all of the work-webs A, both active and inactive, to the carbon-carrier and to Ieach other during writing operations. The clamp 54 comprises a stationary jaw 55 mounted on the carbon-carrier and extending from side to :side thereof beneath the webs A, and a movable jaw 56 parallel to said stationary jaw 55 and having forwardly-extending arms 57 and 58 at its opposite ends, pivoted respectively on a shouldered screw 59 on the carbon-carrier, and a shouldered screw 60 on the carbon-carrier handle `61. A bell-crank arm 62 extends upwardly from the arm 58 and is pivoted at its upper end to a. handle 63. Thehandle 63 is mounted for sliding Inovenient along the carbon-carrier handle 61 by severingl means.

ends of the slot.

'mitrelative shifting of the work-webs and the carbons between writings.

When the typing of the. first web-section is completed the platen 10 is displaced, the active webs are drawn forward to a gage 68 and the carbon-carrier 40 is thrust to the rear against an adjustable stop 69 to shift the active carbons from between the typedv web-sections and to position them between the next untyped sections on the active webs. ln order that the typed web-sections may Ibe severed at this stage, without lowering the platen, provision is made of novel webv A draw knife 76 mounted upon a T-shaped block l7l slidable in a channel-bar 72 on the back of a frontpaper-table 73 which forms a part of the swing frame 13. The knife extends through a slot 74 in the front paper-table T3 and may be drawn, by a handle 7 5, coinpletely across the path of the work-webs A,. The knife has two shearing edges 76, so that it may be drawn across the tablein either direction to shear the work-webs. The channel-bar 72 is rather heavy, and is secured firmly to the paper-table 73 to reinforce it in the web-shearing operation. Springdetents 77 are mounted adjacent the opposite Either of these detents TT is effective to yieldingly retain the knifeTU at one end of its travel'beyond the bounds of the work-webs A1. V

lft is important thatthe work-webs A, be held against shiftingl or slipping during web-severing. Upstanding brackets-'TS are mounted upon the front bar 79 of the carriage 15, at its opposite ends, and. these brackets support a bar 80 aga-inst which -the front table 73 may be pressed during` the severing operation to clamp the workwebs A1 firmly adjacent the path of the knife 70.

After the severing of the typed websections, the operator nc\:t determines thc number of copies required of the 11e-Xt writing'- and Aadjusts kthe number of webs in active use accordingly. Should he find it necessary to reduce the number of webs in active use, he cou-ntsoif the surplus webs from the webs Al extending beneath the platen and turns them and their carbons 41 back under the clamp-jaw 46. Should he find it necessary, on the other hand` to increase the numberof webs in active use he counts from the inactive webs. A2, under the clamp-jaw 46," the additional webs lli) .paper-table from the platen.

of the carbon-carrier.

'Figure l.

rolls 83 shortly before it comes to rest,

required and turns them forward beneath the platen 10. When these webs arel first releasedI from theA clamp they occupy the position indicated at A3. The operator then tucks them beneath the platen with his fingers, to a position like that indicated at A4, and when the webs have been pushed forward far enough they snap forward to the position indicated at A1. The leading edges of these webs register exactly with the leading edges of the webs A, already in active use, vsi-nce they were severed by the knife 70, when last previously vin active use, under exact-ly the same conditions which exist at every subsequent severing operation.

It will be noticed that the knife 70 1s located a substantial distance up the front made of means for drawing the leading ends of the webs A1 down to first writing line position automatically, at the lowering of the platen. For this purpose a springdetent 81 is provided on the carbon-carrier 40 to engage a pin 82 on the adjustable stop 69 that limits the rearward movement This detent 81 prevents forward movement of the carbon-carrier 40 during the downward movement of the platen to lowered position, until the feed-rolls 88 engage the platen. The platen, therefore, as it bends the. work-webs A, in returning to lowered position, causes their leading edges to be drawn down from the knife 70 and locates the webs in the usual first writing line position, as seen in The platen engages the feedcausing the feed-rolls to grip the workwebs A1 forcibly to the platen. The platen is rotated in line-feed direction throughout its movement from displaced to lowered position, and hence in the last part 'of its movement coacts with the feed-rolls 83`to draw the carbon-carrier 40 forward to free the detent 81 from the pin 82. It is unnecessary, therefore, for the line-spacing of the platen to overcome the force of the detent 81. A

It will be seen that by the revision in the present machine of means or facilitating and expediting the change of the number of webs in active use, the carbon-shifting principle of, the fan-fold machine may be applied to numerous classes of work wherein the operator has been compelled heretofore to interleave the individual work-sheets and carbons.

The bottom webs are apt to be used up faster than the upper webs, but this is unobjectionable, inasmuch as the webs are led separately into the machine, each web be- :ing supplied independently of the remaining webs. When the supply of one web is exhausted, a new4 web may be put in to Provision is take its place, without Wasting any of the remaining webs.

Variations may be resorted to within the -seopeof the invention, and portions of the improvements may be used without others. Having thus described my invention, I claim: l

1. In a typewriting machine having a revoluble platen, means for presenting to the platen a composite Vweb of work-plies and interleaved carbons; including a carbon-carrier or holder, said machine constructed to permit the straightening out of the web' preparatory tostripping the carbons, a web' ening-out of the web preparatory to strip-` ping the carbons, the combination of means for severing the typed web-sections from the remainder of the webs, and a worksupport co-operating with said severing means; said work-support and said severing means being normally separated during the typing operation and mounted to be brought into co-operative relation at the movement of. the machine to straighten out a web.

3. In a typewriting machine having a revoluble platen and means for presenting multiple-ply work-webs thereto and for typing upon the webs,'including a carrier for holding carbons interleaved with the webs,

said machine having members relatively displaceable Vfor straightening out the webs to afford relative stripping movement between the carbon-carrier and the webs, means-for severing the webs transversely, said severing means having members brought into co-operative relation at the platen-displacing operation of the machine vpreparatory` to carbon-stripping, said severing` members be` ing out of a co-operative relation when said machine is in typing condition.

4. In a typewriting machine having` a revoluble platen, and having means for presenting tothe platen superposed plies of work-webs and for typing thereon, said presenting means comprising a carrier for holding carbons interleaved with the webs,

said platen being displaceable for straightening out of the compo ite'webs preparatory to stripping the carbons from the typed portions of the Webs, and for freeing said composite webs from the platen, a reciprocatory Web-severing device normally inaccessible and movable with the platen to accessible position at the platen-displacing operation and including means mounted in position for severing the typed Web-sections While said members are so displaced, and, While the composite Webs are free from the platen, thus permitting any selected number of'vvork-Web plies with their carbons to be turned back to inactive position preparatory to the typing of the remaining Web-section 5. ln a typevvriting machine, in combination, a revoluble platen, a carbon-carrier reciprocable toward and from the platen for holding carbons interleaved With superposed continuous Work-Webs, means for elevating the platen for freeing the carbons on the carbon-carrier from the platen and to enablethe carbons to be straightened out and shifted relatively to the Work- Webs, a"p`aper-table.vat the front of .the platen, having a slot therein extending longitudinally of the platen, a knife mounled on the back of the paper-table for sliding movement along the slot, the knife extending through the slot to the front of the table to sever the Webs upon the front of the table when the members are in Webstraightening positions, and Work-supporting means for co-operation With said slot, said knife and said Supporting means normally apart but brought together at the elevation of the platen.

6. In a typewriting machine, in combination, a front paper-table having a slot therein extending longitudinally of the platen, and a Web-severing knife mounted on the back of the paper-table for sliding movement along the paper-table from side to side thereof, the knife projectingthrough the slot to sever the Work on the papertable by such movement.

'Z'. in a typevvriting machine, 1n combination, a front paper-table having a slot therein extending longitudinally of the platen, a knife-supporting guide on the back of the paper-table flush with one edge of the slot and in supporting relation thereto, a knifemounted for movement along the guide and projecting through the slot to the front of the paper-table to sever the Work on the table and a Work-support between which and the table the Work advances.

8. ln a typevvriting machine, in'combination, a revoluble platen, an invertible table at the delivery side of the platen, a channel-bar at the delivery side of the platen and-extending longitudinally thereof and mounted on said table, a block mounted at the back of the table for sliding movement along the channel-bar, a knife back of the table and mounted on the block and operable along the bar to sever Work-webs when the table is inverted, and a Worksupport between Which and said bar the Work advances. v

9. In a typewriting machine, in combination, a displaceable, revoluble platen, a Work-table at the delivery side of said platen, a carbon-carrier movable toward the platen at line-spacing and from the platen when the platen isdisplaced to shift the car' bons relatively to the Work-Webs, a knife at said Work-table and substantially in advance of the printing line on the platen and operable to sever the Work-Webs While the platen is displaced, and While the carbons extend in advance of said printing line, said knife mounted at the delivery side of the platen and on the same side of the Web as the platen, and rendered accessible by the displace- ,ment of the platen, means for receiving any selected number of the Work Webs with their interleaved'carbons at the conclusion of the Web-severing operation, and arranged to retain said Work-Webs and carbons in inactive position during the typing of the next Writing, and means for securing the. inactive Webs against shifting relatively to the act ve webs during Writing.

10. In a typevvriting machine, a revoluble platen, a carbon-carrier, a knife movable to sever Work-Webs, means for displacing the platen to straighten out the Work-Web". and means for clamping the Work-Webs stationary adjacent the path of .the knife during Web-severing, said clamping means including co-operative members separated When the platen is in Vprinting position but connected te be brought linto effective relation at the platen-displacing movement l1. ln a typewriting machine, a revoluble platen, a swing frame in which the platen is journaled, a front paper-table forming part of the swing frame, a knife movable along the paper-table parallel to the platen, and a bar against which the paper-tablemay be moved by movement of the swing frame, and arranged to engage the paper-table adjacent the path of the knife, the construction and arrangement being such that the swing frame may be pressed to clamp the Work- .Webs stationary between the bar and the paper-table for severing.

l2. ln a typ-evvriting machine, in combination, a swing frame, a revoluble platen journaled therein, a knife arranged to sever Work-Webs When the platen is displaced, and means .made effective by pressure on the swing frame to clamp the Work-Webs stationary for severing.

i3. ln a typewriting machine, in combination, a-displaceable, revoluble platen, a Websevering knife located a substantial distance above the platen for severing Work-Webs when the platen is displaced, a carbon-carrier reciprocable toward and from the platlof) en, means for detaining the carbon-carrier at the rear limit of its movement during the lowering of the'platen to cause the leading ends of the work-webs to be drawn down from the knife to first writing line position, and means for pulling the carbon-carrier free of said detaining means in the final portion of the platens movement to lowered position. l

14. In a typewriting machine, in combination, a displaceable, revoluble platen, a websevering knife located a substantial distance above the platen for severing work-webs when the platen is displaced, -a carbon-carrier reciprocable toward and-from the plat-- en, means for det-aining the carbon-carrier at the rear limit of its movement during the lowering of the platen to cause the leading ends of the work-webs to be drawn down from the knife to first writing line position, 'gears for rotating the platen throughout its movement to lowered position, and feed-rolls engageable by the platen in the last part of its movement to lowered position, to` grip the work-.Webs to the rotating platen, Vthe arrangement being such' that` the carbon-carrier will be automatically pulled free of its detaining means after the platen engages the feed-rolls.

, 15. vIn a typewriting machine, a revoluble platen, a paper-table at the front ofthe platen, a knife mounted on the back of the papertable and extending to the front thereof for severing work-Webs at'the delivery side of the platen, a handle for the knife behind the paper-table, and means for-y swinging the paper-table forward to a position wherein the knife-liandle'will be readily accessible to writing line position.

17 i In a typewriting machine having a re-' the operator. l 16. In a typewriting machine, in combination, a displaceable, revoluble platen, a websevering knife locateda substantial distance above the laten for severing work-webs when the p aten is displaced, a carbon-carrier reciproclable toward and lfrom the platen, an adjustable stop4 for limiting the' rearward movement of the carbon-carrier, and means on saidadj'ustable stop` for detaining the carbon-carrier at the rear limit of its movement during the lowering of the platen,

to cause the leading ends of the work-websl tobe drawn down from the knife to first voluble platen, and also having'a carriage ing to the platena composite web'of work- Lecaece structed to permit the straightening out of the web preparatory to stripping the carbons, a web-severing device comprising a draw knife mounted upon said work-shelf under the work, and a work-support mounted upon said carriage forwardly of the platen and normally idle; the platen being displaceable, together with said shelf, at the platendisplacin operation, and said knife and said wor -support being thereby brought into 3o-operative relation.,

18. In a typewriting machine having a revoluble platen, and also having a carriage for the `platen and a work-shelf at the delivery side of the platen, means for present-- ing to the platen a composite web of vworkplies and interleaved carbons, including a carbon-'carrier or holder, said machine con-4 structed to permit the straightening out of the web preparatory to stripping the carbons, a web-severing device comprising a draw knife mounted upon `said work-shelf under the Work, a work-support mounted upon said carriage forwardly of the platen and normally idle; the platen being displaceable, together with said shelf, at the platen-,displacing operation, and said knife and said work-support being thereby brought into cooperative relation, and means at the intake side of Jthe platen for detaining one or more web-plies after the severance of the typed web and prior to the restoration of the platen to typing position. v y 19. In a typewriting machine, in combination, a revoluble platen, a carbon-carrier to hold earbons interleaved with loose continuous work-webs, all forming a work-unit and permanently carried in the machine, means for displacin the platen whereby the webs may be straig tened preparatory to stripping the carbons, means accessible for severing the typed work-web sections from the webs while straightened out, thus permitting a selection of liow manyof the carried work-webs are to be typed and how many are not to be .typed at the next writing, after the finished we -sections have been severed but while-thc webs are in stripping position, said knife mountedv at the delivery side of the platen and on the same side of the web as the platen, and rendered acceible by the displacement ofthe platen, and means for detaining any number of the work-webs with their interleaved carboiis selected at the conclusion of for the platen and a work-shelf at the'v delivery side ofthe platen, means for presentthe web-severing operation, during the typing and line-spacing of the neit section of l we CLARENCE M.. Cniiws. 

